What happened to the January fizz?

Did you come back from your break with that look in your eyes – the one that comes from having a new sense of direction after having the time to think about the long-term possibilities for your business? A few months in, have you now lost it, as the paperwork and bills started piling back up? Here’s how to maintain that feeling!

For many, the New Year is a time to review where they are at – whether it be in their personal, family or business lives.

Many set new goals and tell themselves (and others) that this year is going to be a good year. Then February comes, followed by March, and life gets busy again. The phone rings, emails start flowing in, and before you know it, you’re swamped by endless paperwork and bills that need to be paid.

All of a sudden, you’re wondering, ‘where did my January fizz go?’ People find themselves giving up on their goals.

Don’t get disheartened

If this is you, don’t worry, it’s quite normal! According to a Forbes report, only 8% of those who make New Year resolutions actually achieve them, yet way more than 8% of businesses do well.

So, how do busy people go about being effective in setting and achieving goals?

1. Keep them S.M.A.R.T

You’ve likely heard this well-known acronym before when talking about goals, it stands for:

• Specific.
• Measurable.
• Actionable.
• Realistic.
• Time bound.

Specific

The statement ‘I want to get more building jobs’ may indicate a new vision for your company, or it could just be a desperate hope.

A specific goal – such as, ‘to increase the number of building jobs, I will convert more of our renovation leads into sales’ – provides more clarity and direction to you and to your team.

Measureable

When you add quantities, you are making a goal about an outcome that can be measured. You’ll know exactly when it has been achieved, whereas without a measurable indicator, you won’t be able to tell.

If your goal is to earn more this year,  then your success or failure is entirely dependent on your definition of more.

Continuing with the above example, you could restate your goal as: ‘To increase the number of building jobs, I will convert 75% more of our renovation leads into sales.’

Actionable.

A S.M.A.R.T goal should reference the actions that need to be taken in order for it to be achieved. Amending our example above further, you may say:

‘To increase the number of building jobs, I will create and implement a sales plan that will allow us to convert 75% more of our renovation leads into sales.’

Realistic

Goals should stretch you and require you to develop in some areas, but they also need to stay within the bounds of common sense.

Being S.M.A.R.T is learning to step just outside your comfort zone, so you’ll be excited about the results. In our example, increasing your conversion rate by 75% sounds good – but is it possible?

It may be if you intend to access some proven tools, but may not be if you have no new strategies to implement. Your goal may now look like this:

‘By accessing XYZ training, I will create and implement a sales process to convert 30% more renovation leads into sales and so increase the number of building jobs.’

Time bound

Without a completion date, a goal does not provide the impetus or the motivation to act now. You could do nothing this week or the next and still own the goal!

However, a smart goal has a date reference that motivates you to action now. So:

‘By accessing XYZ training, I will create and implement a sales process to convert 30% more renovation leads into sales and so increase the number of building jobs. I will achieve this before the end of the financial year.’

2. Focus on fewer goals 

Productivity studies show that we can’t focus on more than five to seven things at once. Having lots of goals looks impressive, but is unlikely to lead to multiple successes.

Better to keep to a handful of goals – no more than you are able to commit to memory – and don’t cheat by writing countless sub-goals under each goal.

This is a recipe for failure. Instead, write just a few S.M.A.R.T goals, reviewing and amending them each quarter.

3. Achieving your goals 

Some people think that when you write down your goals, you improve your chances of success. Writing forces you to create better goals, especially when you use the S.M.A.R.T check.

But in my experience, it is not the writing down that brings the success – it’s the doing of every step towards the goals that brings success.

Reviewing your goals frequently and planning your weekly task lists with them in mind almost certainly guarantees success, or at least significant progress. The key is to let your goals inspire your actions.

4. Share your goals 

It can also be beneficial to share your goals with a select few, but only those who will encourage you. Avoid the naysayers!

Graeme Owen is a builders’ business coach at thesuccessfulbuilder.com. Since 2006, he has helped builders throughout New Zealand get off the tools, make decent money, and get more time in their lives.  Grab a copy of his free book: The 15 Minute Sales Call Guaranteed To Increase Your Conversion Rate: http://thesuccessfulbuilder.com/book-15-min-sales-call/ or join Trademates and connect with builders who are scaling too: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1832794793692377/